Well kids, our never-ending election season is about to shift into high gear. And it’s an off-year election, a midterm if you will, which occurs every two years in between the only elections which Democratic voters seem to think matter. Which means we’re hearing it from the usual quarters that “Both parties are the same” or “elections don’t matter” or “I voted for Obama—isn’t that enough.”

Don’t like the Blue Dogs who will try to wrest control of the House away from Teabaggers? No, they may not be what Markos Moulitsas calls “better Democrats”.

But you know what? I don’t give a fuck.

Democrats like Feinstein and Pryor will make sure that Harry Reid remains Majority Leader, and sets the agenda in the Senate. The Blue Dogs so disparaged by those on the Purity Left gave Nancy Pelosi the gavel from 2007 to 2011 and allowed President Obama to get ACA passed and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repealed. And if they win in November, Pelosi will again be Speaker, and actual legislation will once again move.

I’ve written on the GOP civil war, and how that might depress GOP turnout among the more rabid Teabaggers. But the fact is that most GOP voters will crawl on sharp glass while drinking lighter fluid to get to the polls every single time, and not just for midterms or Presidential elections. School boards matter as much as the White House.

Democrats have to be as evangelistic about voting as are Republicans. When we vote in massive numbers, as in 2006, we win. There just aren’t enough people who buy the Republican line to win elections consistently. The GOP and the Right depend on Democrats being Democrats, whining about the candidates not being good enough, about the scandal of the day which will keep them home on Election Day. They rely on Democrats thinking that nothing they do matters, and not go to the polls.

The only person an “angry Democrat” hurts by not voting is himself. And his neighbors. And his country. Scratch that: non-voting Democrats hurt the entire commonwealth. Republicans win in a low turnout election. And when Republicans win, we have what we’ve had since 2011: paralysis on the national level, and all sorts of chicanery on state and local levels.

Listening to pundits telling you to “teach Democrats a lesson” teaches nothing to Democrats, aside from making office-holders and candidates spineless and milquetoast. Democrats don’t need lessons; Republicans need to learn that their policies are rejected by a majority of Americans. Now that majority has to vote, otherwise the lesson will never be taught.

You don’t like DiFi? Tough shit, mark the ballot for her. You don’t like your local Blue Dog running in a purplish district? Suck it up and vote for him or her.

To form policy, you have to have the votes first. Without votes, you have a House voting 50+ times to repeal Obamacare. And if you didn’t vote, it’s your fault. That bit of truth stings, and it should.

So please, pretty please, pretty please with fucking sugar on top: shut up and vote. Once Democrats have super-majorities, then we can talk about realignment and shifting the parties. As long as the GOP exists in its current form, nothing else matters other than sidelining them. And that should be the progressive position. Anything else just sends tingles up the Koch Bros. legs.

I believe that we are in the golden age of American politics for the world. The Obama’s as First Family have raised the bar so damn high, on the national and international stage that I don’t see anyone following in their footsteps. I have mixed feelings about what this portends for the future once they leave the White House; but I’m definitely going to savor these times.

I don’t curse, but I agree with your rant. When I called voters to get them to vote in 2010, those are the very reasons I heard. I even told them where their voting site was. Voter apathy is why e are listless in some sectors of the economic recovery. Apathy is why we have had such negative vibes from the media, and 51 votes on repeal of ACA. Apathy is why there is no comprehensive immigration reform. Losers!!

Absolutely! One of my continuing gripes with the “purity brigade” is that they are very happy with their little tree while the forest dies around them. My constant response to their “principles” when it comes to voting – or more particularly refusing to vote – comes down to “How well did that work out for you in 2010?” That they can’t see the damage is more a testament to their own blindness. There’s a reason Republicans are working to suppress voting turnout, and keep people from voting at all – they know their voters will make it to the polls, no matter what.

We cover their viagra but noo…..nooo…noooooooo…women must not get birth control which has a wider range of preventive applications than a drug which helps “Mr. Johnson” rise to the occasion for four hours or less. :roll:

This is about controlling women….period…they do not want women to have sex outside of marriage and within marriage only when hubby wants to engage…if a single woman has children and she is struggling…it is her own fault for having sex in the first place…we have heard all the archaic beliefs…..be it about rape…morality….just the whole worth of women..

just as we keep hearing the racist comments,,,we keep hearing these ugly sexist comments….because this is who they…who they have always been……

and now we have SCOTUS weighing in…to perhaps enshrine this into rule of law…

Runway 6 ? Isn’t that what the British pilots on flights to Heathrow call: “Halfway to the beach” ? I have now overheard several unrelated people on unrelated flights comment: “Are they going to *taxi* to London ?”

Oh Amen and Amen, sir. I’ve been feeling strongly along these lines, too, though I clearly needed you to articulate it for me. Thank you, thank you LL! I’m going to add an addendum for myself; no more disparaging the CNNs and the MSNBCs and NYTs and WPs, etc, etc. We can’t afford our fight without this, admittedly, very imperfect media. Anything that weakens them, emboldens FOX, and I just cannot accept that. Our country’s soul is as stake and any person or entity that hasn’t been completely captured by FOX and/or the GOP, is on. my. side. Sure, it makes for strange bedfellows, but whatever persuasion or heartfelt plea, or letter to the editor I can muster, I will make it to keep them from the dark side. Every one of our tools has to somehow be a shot across the bow of FOX and the GOP. HAS to. My one enemy is clear.

The last tweet refers to a WSJ article (behind a paywall, but you can view by searching for on Google):
U.S. Scurries to Shore Up Spying on Russia
In Crimea, Russia May Have Gotten a Jump on West by Evading U.S. Eavesdropping

Here’s another Snowden tweet:

Word that never appears in this piece but is in the back of your mind throughout: "Snowden" http://t.co/f6bL0mtsLK

LL I am a peaceful person…but this shit sends me in a rage. Has there ever been such disrespect for a US president overseas by the US media? Once there was a time when the US media would not say anything negative about the president when he was overseas. Now they say this shit in front of the world. Traitors … all of them. If 2014 mid term elections do not give our president a functional congress, I will blame the MSM and the lazy liberals that say Obama is just like the repugs. I need a drink..I am shaking mad.

This rant is on point. Ben Nelson irritated me to no end but on big ticket Democratic policy he voted with his party (and The President) 80 to 90% of the time. A Republican wins his seat and those numbers turn into one number. Zero. Big tent means taking in Blue Dogs as well.

He compared the percentages of Blue Dog votes in support of Dem initiatives to those by GOP reps. Don’t recall what those were, but needless to say, a vote for a Blue Dog is so much better for the welfare of the country than casting one for a Tea Party bigot.

Remember also that my personal hero, Gabby Giffords was a Blue Dog, but one who truly represented her constiuents wishes and best interests.

Rising star Kirsten Gillibrand is also considered a Blue Dog.

Speaker Pelosi allows Blue Dogs latitude to cast votes that will keep them in office (she she knows how to count and leverage votes, unlike the current Speaker).

Obots should do the same. Cut the Blue Dogs some slack if Speaker Pelosi indicates that all is well from her perspective.

Note that the President will be one of the few people to *ever* in these modern times, take a plane to travel from Amsterdam to Brussels.

For comparison, in 1994 I biked from my home town to Spain and back. The first day I left home at 8:00 and by 17:30 I was drinking a Duvel beer in an Antwerp pub.

By train it takes about 2 hours, beating the 1 hour-in-advance arrival at the airport (enhanced by half an hour for traffic delays) and then a 45 minute flight which is mostly climbing to 24,000 ft and descending quickly again …

LL, I 100 percent agree with your rant, but I think those who don’t vote for “purity” reasons represent a small, albeit noisy, percentage of nonvoters. The biggest are those who “fear,” voting, which is true of many Latinos in my area and those who don’t understand the connection between voting and their personal circumstances, which is true of the VAST numbers of single mothers and low income single women who depend on government, but don’t vote. When individual communities and state governments set up barriers to voting, it is these vulnerable populations that are affected first. No early voting? That means taking off from work on a Tuesday or trying to get childcare if you go after work. Making the document review intimidating? That makes Latinos reluctant to submit themselves to scrutiny. Plus in my conversations with people, many don’t understand the “offices” outside of the president. They get “governor” and “president,” but don’t understand what anyone else does because we simply do not teach basic civics in our schools. I have been knocking my head against the wall for many years trying to address these problems and not coming up with solutions that work over the long term. When you get people who to this day do not know who Joe Biden is or what a Vice President does, it makes you want to tear your hair out.

The funny part of this is that it is *not* true for the Netherlands. We had municipal elections last week (19th – elections are always on Wednesdays). Participation was 53.8 % as in 2010, which isn’t high. National elections are at 75 % regularly.

Of course it helps that:

1. Voting stations are open 7:30 – 21:00.

2. Only one issue per election (either national, provincial or local – municipality).

3. Therefore, waiting lines are short (last time I actually was 3rd in line – never happened before).

Couldn’t that be changed now—–if we had a functional Congress? I always get mad about all the disparities in voting in every state. Shouldn’t access, hours, machines, methods etc. be the same everywhere? Why should voting be easy for this person because of where they live and almost impossible and long waits for others elsewhere. After every presidential election, it seems, there are mini rumbles about doing something about our haphazard, sloppy voting practices here in this democracy. And then there is silence—–and on and on it goes, all subject to the devious whims of whatever tea bag Repubs control which states. It’s nuts.
And by the way, I thank you for your rant——it’s needed——-#1 in importance. People need to realize that it’s just as important to vote in the midterms as it is in presidential elections, in fact more so, which I think President Obama noted once. And President Obama’s supporters need to have the same ferocity about voting as they did when he was on the ballot. Vote as if your life depends on it—–because it does.

picked up my local neighborhood paper and splashed on the Front page are the faces of Elected Reps who seem to be in hot water with the law…they are all from the NW section of Philly…they are all Blk and Democrat…and they have thrown Kane in for good measure….

what this does is make a cynical electorate…which the President has said it bad for a democracy…

a lot of candidates do not even campaign any more….no literature….no posters….. nothing…. you would be lucky if the candidates came to your community….

altho the President ran an earth shattering campaign..it is almost as if politcs have done a reset

Did not see this, but those quizzes saying you are a certain character or most like some famous person that are very popular on FB drive me crazy. First off the songs, foods, tv shows, etc that are given to choose from never fit me so wildly guessing must throw it off. I started out doing them since my grown kids and friends were. Now I totally ignore them as they are stupid and mean nothing. The online opinion polls are just as stupid and meaningless.

This, a million times this! LL, your rant gives me life. If purist Dems don’t vote we get the BS I have to live with here in Texas but on a national level . I am so freaking sick and tired of the morons running this state and their corrupt, misogynistic xenophobic policies.

LL, I found myself holding my breath as I read your Sermon. When I let it out it was pure exhilaration. My heart is beating fast, yet I must remain calm and profession on the outside because I’m here at work and I don’t want anyone to know that I am reading your rant!

Yes, that piece is excellent. He has been articulating this foreign policy for a number of years, but the neocons and msm don’t seem to get it yet, so he has to keep doing it. And that’s good. The more he says it, eventually it will get through to people.

He is the one who sees the world as it is: “messy”…..as are most lives! Yet, we go through and pull pieces together, and that’s what he does. He pulls pieces together, works to get co-operation, and knows, that the U.S. cannot police and support the world. We ARE interconnected, but he uses persuasion and reason to stand up for values that matter. His North Star is strong.

Excellent righteous rant LL!! Often times when a bill dies in the house or is filibustered in the Senate, we see an extreme focus on the few Dems who didn’t vote “Aye” but routinely ignore the 100% of the R’s who voted Nay. It has ALWAYS been the case that a few legislators on either side voted with the other party – that is what democracy entails. It has NEVER been the case that 100% of a party voted against basic routine bills 100% of the time. But in the age of Pres Obama, this is what the R’s are doing, and we should be outraged by this instead of harping on a few Dems (usually from very Red states) here and there who occasionally don’t toe the DEM line.

I’ve said this to folks on Twitter than Bluedogs/ConservaDems serve the important function of providing a Senate or House majority – if they don’t do anything else. But if you really look closely, you will see that they do sometimes provide crucial but politically-risky votes when necessary. And as Arapoh and others noted upthread, they certainly vote more with D’s than a Teabagger would.

The funny (or maybe not so funny) part about the midterms is the whiny dimwits who blame PBO for not making them *want* to go to the polls. They won’t even take responsibility for failing to cast a vote that only they can cast.

If only voters and non-voters could get the governments they each deserve…

WOW LL. What a rightous rant!!! I feel that way too. Coming from a purple state I wish I had a real progressive to vote for but I doubt that will ever be. As much as I disliked Baucus he was a democrat. Not always sure vote but he was a D at least. Senator Tester is much more of a progressive but he has to be careful because of being Montana. Thank you for your great words.

Has anyone else noticed…I’m sure you have…..that at these international gatherings, when anyone says “The President” or “Mr President”…no matter where that person is from, that reference is ALWAYS President Obama. There are other presidents, prime ministers, high ranking officers, but the ONE that matters is PBO, and he is the one whose attention everyone wants. The party doesn’t start until he arrives, and everything goes better when he’s there. “The president” sure doesn’t refer to Putin in the world’s eyes!!!!!

And the extra nastiness from our WHPC today was a result of all those favorable Obama headlines they were seeing there—–the 3 kisses on his face, all the favorable coverage and love he was getting there. So they decided to try to stomp on him a little bit before the world, attempt to take the shine off. It’s juvenile bullying behavior. I saw the surprised looks on many of the other reporters at the press conf.—–I don’t think they could believe what they were hearing. It was shameful.

LL, this asinine Hobby Lobby may have a up side. Women are going to get really pissed , and have every right to be, with GOP old men determining their access to health care, and blocking the enforcement law for equal pay. A lot of pissed women are more likely to vote and vote BIG for Dems, and get this awful, hateful dredge of tea baggers out for good.

“First, Ukraine should refuse to serve any of its debts to Russia and its state entities, including Russian state banks. A country does not owe anything to an aggressor who has violated every international law. On the contrary, Ukraine is entitled to war reparations. Such reparations can only be settled at an eventual peace agreement. My colleague Anna Gelpern had argued that the $3 billion Russian bond purchase in December 2013 should be considered “odious debt” from the outset and be disowned outright. International financing must not be used to pay Russia or Gazprom.

Second, Ukraine needs to alter its whole gas policy instantly. Given Gazprom’s politicized behavior, the Ukrainian government should revoke the dysfunctional agreement between Gazprom and Naftogaz, the Ukrainian national oil and gas company, of January 2009. In order to rid itself of the pervasive corruption in the gas sector of arbitrage between low state-controlled prices and high free-market prices, the government should raise gas prices to a market-conforming level. Half of the cut in subsidies could be given to the needy as direct social compensation from the state budget. With higher gas prices, Ukraine’s high energy intensity would soon decline. In the long term, Ukraine can easily produce enough gas for its own needs. In the short and medium term, it can import gas from Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary.

Ukraine should cease to import gas from Gazprom, since Gazprom acts like an organized crime syndicate poisoning Ukraine with its corruption. Gazprom still needs Ukraine’s gas transit system for half of its exports to Europe. Considering its business habits, Ukraine should only allow such transit if Gazprom prepays for the transit. As a member of the European Energy Community, Ukraine can also lean on the European Union in its legal defense. Gazprom is entitled to take a case against Ukraine to the Stockholm Arbitration Court, but such cases are usually brought by others, and Gazprom persistently loses big.

Third, in war, the confiscation of the enemy’s state property is commonplace. If Russia continues with its confiscation of Ukrainian private assets in both Russia and Crimea, the Ukrainian government needs to consider the nationalization of the four Russian state banks in Ukraine, which hold about 15 percent of all Ukrainian banking assets.”

For so many things like this, I think that people may not WANT to notice what is clear as day! I think they try and talk themselves out of it because they can’t believe it could happen here…so they ignore, or just make a joke about it because it’s too uncomfortable to admit to…especially if they’ve begun to connect the dots as to WHO are the people that are actually pushing this fascist garbage…..maybe they voted for them and they just can’t admit that they could have been so wrong about someone…..

I see that BP has admitted to an oil spill into Lake Michigan, the source of drinking water for 7 million people in Chgo and suburbs. Every week I read about some spill, some environmental disaster somewhere, poisoning our environment, air, water sources. What happens when all water sources are toxic or have dried up?

“Kevin Counihan says that Access Health CT now has a goal of signing up 185,000 individuals for health insurance by March 31. The exchange originally hoped to sign up 100,000 people but has already enrolled 170,021 individuals in private insurance and Medicaid plans.”

Little boy Bouie is now shilling for Rumsfeld — because Rumsfeld has used that term in the past, then it’s okay for him to use it now. Never mind that the word has a vastly different connotation when used in connection with African-Americans.

Instead of Bouie raising the point that what goes around comes around, meaning that when a group of people are caricatured with certain slurs based on their ethnicity, then it ultimately affects and restricts ALL of us negatively -even those who may be “well-meaning,” he’s busy blaming people for “misinterpreting” Rumsfeld’s use of the term.

I’m proud of my Il. daughter. They had a old leaky gas line in the street in front of their house. She and the neighbors have made multiple complaint calls to the gas co., Nicor, asking for remedy. No calls back and then finally a response saying their old leaky gas line was “low priority”. Well, it was high priority for my daughter that their house doesn’t blow up—–there have been many home and building explosions in the news lately due to faulty gas lines. So she decided she was on a mission to right this wrong. She told Nicor she would take this to social media if they continued to neglect this issue, which she did, called the township supervisor, the fire chief, the Citizens Utility Board and the Illinois Commerce Commission. Well that generated some action, heard back from all those entities, fire truck was sent out to their house this afternoon, which made the day for my 4 yr. old grandson—-said they weren’t in immediate danger of blowing up but there was definitely a problem, deputy fire chief said he would advocate on their behalf with Nicor, just heard back that it will be fixed by the end of the week. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands, be the squeaky wheel.

I am proud of your daughter too. She did what was right for her family and neighbors. People need to write, call, and make an effort to get companies to pay attention. This was a dangerous situation that could have ended badly and the MSM would say no one alerted the company to this situation which would be a lie. My sweet older neighbors had a situation with contractors using a vacant lot as a staging area. This construction company was so disrespectful to them. I wrote a letter to our counsel member and she got on it immediately. She was so thankful that we contacted her and let us know that this is what she is here for….the people in her district.

There are so many reasons to vote for Democrats and to do all I can to help elect Democrats this year but there are three in particular – my three sons. You can only do so much as a parent. We are part of our community. We are affected by the world we live in. I want them to have clean air and water, safe and healthy food, access to health care, top notch education that doesn’t bankrupt them, economic opportunity, respect for their rights and dignity, and a planet capable of sustaining all of us. There is no way I could sit this election out. Stakes are too high for all of our precious children.

I hope millions of people read your post. It’s so important for EVERYONE to go out and vote this November. We cannot allow the Republicans to take over the Senate. I cannot imagine the nightmare for the last two years of the Obama administration if that were to happen.

VOTE like your life depends on it!! Because for many Americans, it does.

I have never heard a rant that said it better, LL. I, for one, am never going to see a “complainer” who can be trusted. Feel some movement at your feet? That is the rug being pulled out from under you by the folks that do not have our interests at heart.